Bourgeois named provost at Texas State

Eugene J. Bourgeois II has been named provost and vice president of academic affairs at Texas State University-San Marcos.

Bourgeois’ appointment was announced Friday, May 13, by Texas State University President Denise Trauth.

“It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Dr. Eugene Bourgeois as provost of Texas State University. Throughout his tenure here, Gene has proven to be a tremendous asset to the university – as an award-winning member of the faculty, as chair of the Department of History and as associate provost. He is also active in community service and is well-respected throughout San Marcos. He is the right person for this job, and we are fortunate to have him among us,” said Trauth.

Bourgeois will assume his new position in July, when current Texas State Provost Perry Moore begins his new responsibilities as the Texas State University System’s vice chancellor of academic affairs.

Bourgeois holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Louisiana State University. He holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge. He taught at the University of Kent in England and at Southern University and McNeese State before coming to Texas State as an assistant professor of history in 1990.

He was tenured and promoted to associate professor in 1995 and promoted to professor in 2004. He has taught a variety of English history courses at the graduate and advanced undergraduate levels. His publications include books and articles on 16th Century English history.

Bourgeois founded and directed the Texas State in England Study Abroad Program during 1992-2000, and served as founding Faculty Coordinator for the Texas State Residential Colleges. He directed the Texas State Honors Program from 1996-2000, and, from 2000-2004, he served as chair of the Department of History. Bourgeois served as associate vice president for academic affairs in 2005 and as associate provost since 2006, managing budget and personnel operations for the Academic Affairs division.

Bourgeois’ teaching and professional honors include the 1996 Texas State Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching; nominations for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching U. S. Professors of the Year Award; the Texas Academic Advising Network’s 2009 Academic Advising Administrator Award; and the 2010-2011 Texas State University International Studies Program Administrator of the Year Award.

During his years in the Department of History, Bourgeois led the department in partnering with the San Marcos CISD and the Hays CISD on two separate U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History Grants, and he partnered with colleague Frank de la Teja on several project grants from private foundations to support innovative local history publication projects for undergraduate and graduate classes. He continues to actively support heritage and cultural tourism and economic development initiatives for the San Marcos Dunbar Historic District.